Disoriented
by Princess Pinky
Summary: When Ben runs into Adrian one day after school, they realize that they might just have more in common than they thought.


**A/N:** I've been meaning to make a Secret Life fanfic for a while now, but I only just got the idea last week. Basically, this takes place after "Unforgiven" (the episode that aired on February 9) but in this universe, "Making Up Is Hard To Do" never happened. (Basically the Madrian date, the Benamy semi-reunion, etc… none of it happened.)

_**Disoriented**_

Left, right, left, right left…

Ben stared at his sneakers as he walked, placing one in front of the other in classic army style. He tried to imagine a drill sergeant's voice pounding into his ear the commands. He wanted to drown out the sound of the school band…the drumming, more precisely. Each drum beat seemed to be precisely in tune with his steps.

"_Ricky,"_ he muttered under his breath. He'd come to despise that name. He'd spent all week comparing himself to _The Drummer_. "Of course she'd pick him over me…he's handsome and I'm…a geek. I rant and he…can sweet talk. She had sex with him and is having his baby and I…am just her fake husband."

He wished he was stronger. He wished he had more guts. He wished that he had the nerve to just walk out onto that football field and-

"_Agh!"_

Ben thrust his hand to his forehead as a heated pain rippled through his skin and rung the doorbell at his skull. For several seconds, the pain cast a veil over his eyes and all he could see were blurry lights twirling along a back canvas which recalled memories of watching Fantasia as a child. For a minute, he could almost hear the familiar theme music in his head replace the cursed drumming.

"_Ben?"_

The voice was like a bucket of fresh spring water on his mind. The haze in front of his eyes faded to reveal Adrian Lee standing in front of him. "Adrian?" He rubbed his forehead again and he could feel a bump beginning to swell just below his hairline.

Adrian narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…" Ben flinched back from her gaze. He mentally noted her ability to paralyze someone with her intense brunette eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Majorette practice," she replied quickly. "Not that it's any of your business anyway, Boykewich."

Ben stuck his finger at her. "You're not wearing your uniform."

Adrian instinctively looked down at herself and then back up again. "What do you think I was coming out of the bathroom for?" she asked snidely.

Ben folded his arms across his chest. "Today's band practice."

"So?"

"So, band practice and majorette practice are on different days." Ben rubbed his head again. "So what are you doing here?"

"I think a better question is why were you lingering by the girls' bathroom." Her hair bobbed as she cocked her head to the side. "Stalking Amy, maybe?"

Ben's face blanched. "No, I-" He turned his head down, staring at his sneakers. A heavy sigh seeped between his lips. "I just wanted to watch her at practice." He began to lightly scuff the edge of his shoe on the floor.

"So you're really broken up?" Her voice was softer.

Ben nodded numbly. "Yeah."

Adrian ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh." The word was tinged with what sounded like sympathy and potentially even fear. "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, me too." Ben lifted his eyes. "About you and Ricky I mean."

The hard edge returned to Adrian's eyes and came out with her voice. "What about me and Ricky?"

"You guys breaking up," Ben clarified. "I know you really liked him-"

"You don't know anything." Her nostrils flared. "What gives you the right to make assumptions like that? Just because Ricky and I had sex doesn't mean I liked him for anything other than his body."

"I guess if telling yourself that makes you feel better." The next thing he knew, he was shoved between the wall and Adrian's hand.

"You don't know me, Boykewich!"

"I don't have to." Ben glanced at her hand through his peripheral vision. "The way you look at him in the hallway says everything." As her face darkened, his eyes light up. "That's why you're here too, isn't it? Same as me! For band practice…to watch _Ricky_." The pressure on his chest disappeared.

"Shut up."

Ben rubbed his chest where Adrian has shoved her hand. "He doesn't deserve you, you know-"

"Oh please! You sound like a bad romance movie."

"It's true. I don't think Ricky deserves anyone."

"You don't know him!"

"You're right, I don't. But it's obvious he doesn't know what he wants. First you, then Grace, and now Amy. He's just hurting people and moving on and it's not right. You don't deserve that."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you actually give a damn about him."

Adrian turned her head away. "And he doesn't even care."

Ben touched his fingers to her arm. "I'm-"

"Don't!" She swatted his hand away. "I don't need your pity." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "In fact, this conversation never happened. We," she swished her finger in the space between them, "were never here. Got it?" She waited, but Ben seemed distracted. "Got it?" She flicked his shoulder, bringing his attention back. "Got it?"

"Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Adrian tilted her head. "The band stopped."

"Yeah."

"I have to go. Ricky can't see my car here." She turned to flee down the hallway and Ben raced at her heels. Adrian sneered. "Why are you following me?"

"My driver's parked this way." He noticed her roll her eyes, but let the look slide. As they neared they neared the doors, they spotted orange and white uniforms through the windows. Ben grabbed Adrian's arm and quickly guided her in the opposite direction.

"Of course they'd choose that entrance," she glowered. "They always come in the other one."

"Murphy's Law." As phrase left his mouth, they rounded the corner in time to hear a familiar voice. Adrian froze as the door at the end of the hallway was opening. "Ricky!" He said under his breath, but just loud enough for Adrian to hear. Then he heard Amy's voice.

"You're a jinx," Adrian snapped, and without warning, she leaned into him and closed the gap between their lips.

Ben felt himself freeze up at first, only being able to hear the sound of Amy's voice as she came through the door with Ricky, but soon his mind registered the warm taste of Adrian's lips. She had on a flavored lip gloss, he realized. It tasted like black cherries. His body relaxed and to his shock, he found himself returning the kiss.

When Adrian's lips pulled away, he felt disoriented once again. He saw Amy's face, pale and open mouthed as she stood next to Ricky, who wore a cross between a smirk and genuine shock. He looked back at Adrian, whose cheeks were slightly flushed and her lip gloss smeared. He could see stars again, but this time, there was no pain.


End file.
